Photographic camera



C. C. BALSTON.

PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.4. 1917.

15 362,833, Patented Dec" 21, 1920. 2 SHEETSSHEET I.

5 36 INVENTOR BY F7 8 w I n MM 27% '4 & ATTORNEY C. C. BALSTON.

PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-4.1917.

1362,833, Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JVENTOR J40 ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLYDE C. BALSTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA.

' Application filed August 4, 1917.

To all w 7mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLYDE C. BALSTON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Photographic Cameras, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in folding cameras, and has for its objects the more rapid extension of the lens supporting front to focus position, and the mechanical tripping and release of the side supporting arms of the hinged camera front or door from their catches to facilitate the closing thereof, and means whereby one continuous movement of the hand releases said door, opens it to extreme and locked position, and extends the lens supporting front to focus position, the opposite movement of the hand retreating the lens support, releasing the side arms and closing and locking said door in such position.

In the drawings, Figure 1 a side elevation of the camera, partly in section; Fig. 2 is a plan view f Fig. 1, partly in section taken on the line 11 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front detail view of the release arm and a portion of the releasing spring; Fig. i is a plan view of the releasing spring and front extending yoke; Fig. 5 is a. front view of the releasing device showing part of the lens support and camera easing; Fig. (3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the lens front lever extension device and catch therefor;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a portion of the casing partly in section, and shows a modified form of the side release; Fig. 8 is a v'ew of Fig. 7, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 7 Fig. 9 is an elevation of Fig. 7, showing a portion of the camera ease and door supporting arm broken away; Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail elevation of the lens front extending lever of Figs. 1, 2 and 6 showing springs and catch device and journal for lever shaft, with parts in section on the line 10, 10, in Fig. 2; Fig. 11 is a plan view of FigwlO.

In the reference figures 1 represents thin flat levers pivoted movably to the two opposite inner sides of the camera casing 2 by means of large head screws or rivets 3 as shown; the said levers being located preferably between the corresponding sides of the said case 2 and the adjacent usual door Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

Serial No. 184,434.

supporting slotted arms which are usually loosely connected by flanged pins or screws 5 to the sides of the casing and pivoted as at 6 to the camera door 7. Lugs 8 bent in wardly to overlap the top portions of arms d are carried by the levers 1 respectively, the lower parts of which levers l are bent inwardly and then upwardly as at 9, 10, the upper surfaces 11 of the parts 10 being given rearwardly inclined angles toward the parts 9, the forward edges of parts 19 being extended into lugs 12 projecting slightly over and ahead of the forward edges oftlie portions 9 and 10.

At the lower back inside portion of the casing 2 is located a piece of spring wire 13, which is positioned below the bellows (which bellows is not included in the illustrations, but is represented by the dotted lines 14:) and turns upwardly as at 15 near the opposite inside surfaces of the casing 2, is bent over as at 1" downwardly as at 17 and passes loosely at its end through holes 18 in the parts 9, and then preferably bears", w ien in extended position, as shown, against the camera door and easing hinge 19, to serve as a cushion to the forward thrust of the levers l. The carriage 20, operating on the usual tracks 21 attached to the door '7, and to the lower part of t is camera casing 2 supports the usual lens supporting front 22, carrying the lens tube 23, and the shutter and diaphragm barrel 2%; in the ordinary manner.

rlournaled at 26 to the side supports 25 of the front 22, as shown, or to any suitable portion of the carriage 29 and carried thereby above its tracks, are two oppositely arran ed pawls 28, 29, which may be made, as shown, of double coil spring 89, 31 of one piece, the coils of t 1e spring being disposed each side of a central loop 32. As shown, the outer portion of the wire constituting the said coil springs, is bent inwardly on itself at 38, 34, rearwardly and upwardly at 35, downwardly at 37, 38 and outwardly at 28. 29, the extending lugs 28 and 29 being shown securely fastened to the brace 25 z s shown, or to other portions of the carriage 20 or lens front 22, as-desired, and serve as a imit to th downward movement of the pawls 28, the normal position of the pawls 28 and 29 being on a horizontal line with the forward surface of the portions 10 of the levers 1, just below the overlapping I lugs 12, 12, thereof, the extreme ends of the pawls 28, 29 representing a greater width overall than the distances that the parts 10, 10, are spaced from each other across the camera. In the form of journal here shown, a rod 39 passes loosely through holes in the portion of the front support 25, or part of the carriage 20, loosely through the spring coils 30, 31 and is bent forward as at 410, parallel with the part 39, as at l1, and then rearwardly as at 12. The free end of the part 39 is preferably provided with an annular groove 43 and a small wire coil spring le fits loosely over the part 42 and is secured at one end in any suitable manner at is to said part l2, its other end forming a loop to fit securely into the groove 43 of the part 39.

The object of this spring slat is that when a forward pull or stress is imparted to the parallel part or yoke 41, it provides flexibility to said partll, without permitting it to lose its spring resilience, the same condition pertaining to a degree if a rearwardly dis posed stress is placed upon said part 11. It will be noted that the loop portion 32 of the double coil spring 30, 31 rests upon the track 21.

Loosely carried by the part 39 is a second double coil wire spring a which at Z) bears upon the carriage 20, and at 0 and d bears with initial tension upon the loop 32 of the double coil spring 30, 31, thereby holding the said loop 32 down on the track 21, and the ends or pawls 28, 29 in the normal position. It is obvious that when the carriage 20 of the lens front with the devices stated are being retreated to the camera case, the pawl 28 will engage the lever 1 opposite it, below the lug 12 thereof, and the pawl 29 will similarly engage the lever 1 opposite it, and that as the carriage 20 is retracted the feet of both levers 1 will be forced rearwardly into the camera casing 2, and the lugs 8, 8, of said levers 1, will force backward and release from their catch pins 5, the slotted support ing arms 1 of the door 7. When the said unlocked door 7 is then pressed in closing toward the camera casing the increased anand thrust and pressure of the track 21 upon the loop 32 of the springs 30, 31 will act against the weaker coil springs 42, and deflect the pawls 28, 29, thereby causing them to pass below the lower portion 9 of the levers 1, by which action the said levers 1 become freed from the pawls 28, 29 respectively, and by the forward tension and action of the wire spring 13, as exerted at 18, 18, spring forward again to their normal position, as the door? continues to close, thereby permitting the lugs 8, 8, to free their pressure on the arms 1, 41, which thus places the said arms 1, 4:, in readiness to snap into en agement with their pins 5, 5,

n I when the door is again opened. But in order to facilitate the opening of the door 7, the extending of the carriage 20 with its lens front 22, and fixtures 23, 2 1 as well as to more quickly bring the said lens to focus position, and also to more readily retract the said lens front and by the same ac tion close the said door 7 I provide a lever 55-6, (preferably formed as shown to escape the support 25 of the lens front when the latter is moving forwardly, and to escape the shutter and the diaphragm barrel 241 when the same is retreated), of a. piece of right angled metal the outer end of which securely holds a vertically disposed pin 41.7 which passes downwardly on the inner side of the journal rod 39, and loosely through an upper and a lower hole formed in a piece of flat metal which constitutes a yoke 18 bent over in front of and under the said rod 39, the pin at? being headed to keep it in engagement with said yoke 48. The opposite end or base of this lever 16 is fitted by a mortise and tenon indicated at 50 (Figs. 10 and 11 enlarged view) to a 'short shaft or stud 51 being held securely thereto preferably by means of a screw and washer 52, 53. A boss 5 1, having a lower shoulder and extension 55 which passes through a hole in the side of the door 7, is securely riveted therein and thereto. This boss is provided at 56, 56, with two approximately oppositely disposed flat surfaces, and decreases to smaller and round formation thereabove. The outer end of the stud 51 is formed into a tenon which as at 57 passes into a mortise formed in the tail of a lever 58 and is securely headed over thereon. The opposite or free end of this lever 58 is slightly turned up as at 59 and supports a rigid pin 60, adapted to temporarily engage a recess 61 formed in a spring 62, which at 63 is bent over and passes back inside the camera casing 2, and is secured to the under surface thereof as indicated at @n each side of the heel of the lever 46 are two bent over and down wardly extending portions 65, 66 adapted to bear as springs against the flat sides 56, 56 of the boss 54:, to insure the lever a6 holding against the focus gage device when the lens front is extended and to oppositely cause the end of the lever 16 to bear toward its catch spring 62, when the lever &6 is in retreated position at the dotted line 67 (Fig. 2) when the lens front 20 is retreated or the door 7 is closed.

The lever 16 is made of spring steel or spring brass, and the part 56, at 68 is preferably bent outwardly to coact with a trip pawl 69 pivoted loosely at 70 by the pivot 6 that secures the slotted arm 1 which is adjacent to the lever 46, to the door 7. A lug 71 is carried by the other arm 72 of said pawl and passes freely under the said slotted arm. Into a hole in the arm 72 is secured a piece of thin spring wire indicated by the dotted line 7 3, which spring is bent so as to bear on the surface of the door, as shown, to exert aslight pressure of the lug 71 against the under side of the slotted arm. 4.

The purpose of this device is that when the lens front and consequentlythe lever 46 is swung back to retreated position and the door '7 is closed the under edge of the slotted arm 4, clearing away from the lug 71 permits the pawlv tooth 69 to move into position behind the tooth 68 of the lever 46. WVhen the door 7 is again opened the lever 58 cannot then be moved, except enough to free it from the spring catch 62 until the door 7 is fully opened, and locked by the slotted arms 4 and their catches 5, thus preventing premature travel of the lens front and carriage 20. A coiled wire spring 74 is shown in Fig. 10, surrounding the small diameter portion of stud 54, the lower end of said spring engaging said stud in a recess therein at 75, and the upper end engaging the lever 46 in a recess 76 formed therein. This spring 74 may be employed to cause the forward movement of the lens front if desired, and also to give greater latitude in holding the said front up to the various focus positions, in cameras employing a full focusing gage and scale.

In Fig. 5 is illustrated a modified form of lever 1 trip device which is operative from the upper portion of thelens front 22, comprising a pawl 77 hinged at 78 to a cleat 79 securely fastened as at 80 to the front 22, and provided with a lug 81 to serve as a down limit rest to said pawl, a spring represented at 82 providing said pawl with tension to hold it in normal position against said lug 81. A like device would be employed for the opposite lever 1, the action being that when the lens front 22 is retreated the outer endsof the pawls 77 bear upon the upper ends of the slotted arms 4, above their pins 5 and disengage them from the latter? As the angle of the slotted arms 4 is such that their upper ends swing to a slightly lower position while being forced backward, they clear the path for the further passage of the pawls 77, which glide on over them. When the lens front is again drawn out the angle of the top end of the slotted arms 4 presented to the pawls 77 is such as to cause the said pawls to ride up and over the tops of said slotted arms.

In Figs. 7, 8 and 9, is shown another modified form of trip for the slotted arms 4, comprising a wire 83 freely bedded in a slot 84 formed in the camera casing 2, and held in position by the overlapping heads of screws as at 85, 86, or by any other suitable means of journaling said wire. The upper end 87 of the wire 83 is bent at a right angle and passes through a hole 88 in the casing 2, and overlaps the top end of the slotted arm 4, and the lower end 89 of the wire 83 is bent over and passes similarly through a hole 90 in the said casing. At 91 the part 89 is bent upwardly, shaped as at 92, and then bent backwardly and downwardly, as at 93 and forwardly as at 94.. With this construction the pawls 28 and 29 would be used, and a similar action ensue as in the case of levers 1 used in connection therewith.

I am aware, of course, that these constructions may be varied in many ways, to accomplish the results set forth, and therefore do not limit myself to the actual construction shown.

The carriage 20 and lens support 22 constitute together a lens support, since the carriage supports the part 22 that holds the lens. In the claims I have used only the term lens support to designate this joint structure.

Having now described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a camera having a movable door, a movable lens support, and means to hold and retain said door in open position, means comprising a movable body coacting with said door retaining means and operative with the lens support whereby the retreating movement of said lens support acts to release said door retaining means.

In a camera having a door, a movable lens support and means to hold and retain said door in pen position, means comprising a movable body operatively secured to said camera, said movable body being movable with relation to both said retaining means and said lens support to be operated upon the retreating movement of said lens support for causing the said movable body to bear upon and force out of retained position said door retaining means.

3. In a camera having a movable door, a movable lens support, and means to hold and retain said door in open position, means comprising a movable body coacting with said door retaining means and operatim with the lens support whereby the retreating movement of said lens support acts to release said door retaining means, said door retaining means comprising a bracket movably connected with said door and camera, the said movable body having movable engagement with said retaining means and said lens support.

4. In a camera having a door, a movable lens support, and means to hold and retain said door in open position, means comprising a movable body operatively secured to said camera, said movable body being in movable connection with both said retaining means and said lens support, the retreating movement of said lens support causing the said movable body to bear upon and force out of retained position said door retaining means, said movable body comprising a lever movably secured to the camera frame, said lever having a bearing upon the said door retaining device, and means coacting between a portion of said lever and said lens support to move out of retaining position said door retaining means.

5. In a camera having a movable door, a movable lens support, and means to hold and retain said door in open position, means comprising a movable body coacting with said door retaining means whereby the retreating movement of said lens support acts to release said door retaining means, said door retaining means comprising a bracket movably connected with said door and camera, the said movable body having mov able engagement with said retaining means and said lens support, a projecting member carried by said lens support, said projecting member operatively engaging and receiving said movable body to release said door retaining device when the lens support is moved in one direction, and to pass said movable body when moved in the other direction.

6. In a camera having a movable door, a movable lens support, and means to hold and retain said door in open position, means comprising a movable body coacting with said retaining means whereby the retreating movement of said lens support acts t release said door retaining means, said door retaining means comprising a bracket movably connected with said door and camera, the said movable body having movable engagement with said retaining means and said lens support, a pawl carried by said lens support, said pawl operatively engaging a portion of said movable body when moved in one direction to release said door retaining device and passing said movable body when moved in the other direction.

7. In a camera having a movable door, a movable lens support, and means to hold and retain said door in open position, means comprising a movable body coacting with said retaining means w ereby the retreating movement of said lens support acts to release said door retaining means, said door retaining means comprising a bracket movably connected with said door and camera, the said movable body having movable engagement with said retaining means and said lens support, a pawl carried by said lens support, said pawl operatively engag ing a portion of said movable body when moved in one direction to release said door retaining device and passing said movable body when moved in the other direction, the said pawl being spring actuated.

8. In a camera having a movable door, a movable lens support, and means to hold and retain said door in open position, means comprising a movable body coacting with said retaining means whereby the retreating movement of said lens support acts to release said door retaining means, said door retaining means comprising a bracket movably connected with said door and camera, the said movable body having movable engagement with said retaining means and said lens support, a pawl carried by said lens support, said pawl operatively engaging a portion of said movable body when moved in one direction t release said door retaining device and passing said movable body when moved in the other direction, the said pawl being spring actuated, said movable body having a surface for the operative contact and for the passing or" said pawl.

9. In a camera having a movable door, a movable lens support, and means to hold and retain said door in open position, means comorising a movable body coacting with said retaining means whereby the retreating movement of said lens support arts to release said door retaining means, said door retaining means comprising bracket movably connected with said door and camera, the said movable body having movable engagement with said retaining means and, said lens support, a pawl carried by said lens support, said pawl operatively engaging a portion of said movable body when moved in one direction to release said door retaining device and passing said movable body when moved in the other direction, the said pawl being spring actuated, said movable body having a surface for the operative contact and for the passing of said pawl, the said movable body comprisinga lever pivoted to the camera frame, a portion of said lever having a bearing on said door retaining means, and the free end of said lever having operative engagement with said pawl.

10. In a camera having a movable door, a movable lens support, and means to hold and retain said door in open position, means comprising movable body coacting with said retaining means whereby the retreating movement of said lens support acts to release said door retaining means, said door retaining means comprising a bracket movably connected with said door and camera, the said movable body having movable engagement with said retaining means and said lens support, a pawl carried by said lens support, said pawl operatively engaging a portion of said movable body when moved in one direction to release said door retaining device and passing said movable body when moved in the other direction, the said pawl being spring actuated, saio movable body having a surface for the operative contact and for the passing of said pawl, the said movable body comprising a lever pivoted to the camera frame, a lug carried by one portion of said lever, and an offset projection carried by the free end of said lever, the said lug having a bearing upon the upper end of said door retaining means, and the said ofi'set portion of said lever having an edge and an angular surface to receive and to pass the impingement of said pawl' 11. In a camera having a movable front, a movable lens support, and means to hold and retain said front in open position, means comprising a member coacting with said movable front retaining means and operative with the lens support whereby the retreating movement of said lens support releases said movable front retaining means.

12. In a camera having a mova le front, a movable lens support, and means to hold and retain said front in open position, means comprising a member coacting with said movable front retaining means and opera tive with the lens support whereby the retreating movement of said lens support releases said movable front retaining means, the said coacting member being spring actuated.

13. In a camera having a movable, front, a movable lens support, and means to hold and retain said front in open position, means comprising a member coacting with said movable front retaining means and operative with the lens support whereby the re treating movement of said lens support releases said movable front retaining means, and means whereby the closing movement of said movable front permits the return of said movable front retaining means to retaining position.

14. In a camera having a movable front, a movable lens support, and means to hold and retain said front in open position, means comprising a member coacting with said movable front retaining means whereby the retreating movement of said lens support releases said movable front retaining means, and means whereby the closing movement of said movable front permits the return of said movable front retaining means to retaining position, the said returning means comprising a trip device to release the engagement between said lens support and said movable front retaining device.

15. In a camera having a movable front, a movable lens support, and means to hold and retain said front in open position, means comprising a member coacting with said movable front retaining means whereby the retreating movement of said lens support releases said movable front retaining means, and means whereby the closing movement of said movable front permits the return of said movable front retaining means to retaining position, the said returning means comprising a trip device to release the engagement between said lens support and said movable front retaining device, a portion of said trip device being in movable engagement with a portion of said movable front.

16. In a camera having a movable door, a movable lens support, means to hold and retain said door in open position, means comprising a movable body coacting with said door retaining means, and means upon the camera having a manually operable portion on the exterior of the camera and a portion within the camera operatively connected with the lens support for moving the latter forth and back whereby the retreating movement of said lens support acts to release said door retaining means.

17. In a camera having a movable door, a movable lens support, means to hold and retain said door in open posit-ion, means comprising a movable body coacting with said door retaining means, and means upon the door having a manually operable portion exterior to the door and having a portion upon the interior of the door operatively connected with the lens support for moving the latter forth and back whereby the retreating movement of said lens support acts to release said door retaining means.

18. In a camera having a movable door, a movable lens support, means to hold and retain said door in open position, means comprising a movable body coacting with said door retaining means, a pair of connected levers pivotally supported upon said door, one of the levers being exposed on the exterior of the door for manual operation, the other lever being along the inner side of the door, and means movably connecting the last named lever with said lens support whereby the retreating movement of said lens support acts to release said door retaining means.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 27th day of July, A. 'D. 1917.

CLYDE C. BALSTON. lVitnesses:

T. F. BoUnNn, Manna F. lVAINWRIGH'r. 

